Meeting Professor Russell the head billy rigs for the Hematology research group in the NHS. He will be discussion the final stages or isolation and stem cell transplant to build a new immune system, so I expect I will hear about the hospital visit 2 to 3 weeks later. Now looks like sometime in February.

My GP pointed up an interesting thing she will need to correct. When the new immune system is working and efficient, I will have no inbuilt immunity to all the things my current immune system knows about. She will need to look through over 65 years of notes to see what vaccinations I need to reinstate that natural immunity.

Very strange, and a complete wipe out back to a blank sheet ...It's good to be back amongst friends and colleagues

Meeting Professor Russell the head billy rigs for the Hematology research group in the NHS. He will be discussion the final stages or isolation and stem cell transplant to build a new immune system, so I expect I will hear about the hospital visit 2 to 3 weeks later. Now looks like sometime in February.

My GP pointed up an interesting thing she will need to correct. When the new immune system is working and efficient, I will have no inbuilt immunity to all the things my current immune system knows about. She will need to look through over 65 years of notes to see what vaccinations I need to reinstate that natural immunity.

Very strange, and a complete wipe out back to a blank sheet ...

Wow...
That is pretty amazing to think about. A clean slate is not always a good thing, I guess.
You are charting some very unusual territory, my friend.
I send more kitty karma your way..........Cats.....what more does one need?

An unexpected journey starting 10 months ago, but an interesting one in the details of what concerns doctors at that time - first, kidney failure, dialysis and getting my kidneys back; second, finding the myeloma and starting it's treatment; third, how effective the combination of chemo drugs were in treating my myeloma; fourthly, the stem cell development, mobilisation and harvesting, resulting in no hair and not needing to shave for weeks; sixth, the next stage of stem cell transplant and a new immune system; and then having to find all the things I need to reacquire immunity against again.

One of the things I know I am immune to now is small pox, for family reasons. I wonder if this will remain?It's good to be back amongst friends and colleagues

Had a chat to the Isolation Unit in Nottingham City Hospital, about what they want me to take. That's OK, but I find the Hospetedia facility (wide ranging TV, phone and crude Internet facilities) are not available.

It's several months of PCPro, Diesel Car and Advanced Driving magazines, a terrestrial channel TV and my mobile for company.

This means the planned posting to SETI Cafe, and other project forums planned is now not possible. This means I will be silent until the transplant is complete. Until then I will remain silent, between phone updates to Chris. This assumes the immune system killing chemo is not too bad and I don't react heavily to it.

So, I assume my next post is to all when I am back home in between 2 and 3/4 weeks from tomorrow.It's good to be back amongst friends and colleagues

John called me this afternoon, and he is in the City Hospital. There has been a delay of some sort, so tonight he will be in what they call the "patient Hotel", before going to the ward tomorrow. As it is basically an isolation ward there is unfortunately no bedside internet, despite what he was led to believe earlier. He has a TV and plenty of reading matter, and his children, and wife will be visiting regularly over the next 2-3 weeks.

John will be in touch with me every 2-3 days via mobile to update me, and I will of course let you know straight away of developments.

Best of luck John, you have all our very best wishes for a full recovery.

Wot - no internet at his bedside :-(
Whatever did he do to deserve such isolation?

Oh well we will just have to rely on the good offices of Chris to pass our greetings on to John.

All the very best John, praying that you will be back on your feet with a complete immune system very soon.Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I hadn't heard any more from John since the last info, so I have just phoned his wife at home. They have destroyed his immune system as planned, and have injected the new stem cells which have all taken. It's just a case now of waiting for them to work to engineer a new immune system. It all sounds very biologically hi-tec, but the news is that he is responding very well so far to the procedures.